The Survivor
by annie rules
Summary: Ethan and Danny's relationship hits rock bottom. They need help finding their way back to each other. The problem is, with so many dangerous things happening, will either of them have the time to fix things, or will a lot remain unsaid, too late? Set after "Illuminated", introducing an original character who will give in insight into the twins' life before Beacon Hills. R
1. Chapter 1

All was not well in Beacon Hills. Ethan rubbed his temple tiredly even as the English teacher lectured about the character building assignment for the week. Yesterday's black-out rave had ended much later for the wolves than the normal party crowd and Ethan was still severely hung over from all the fighting. He looked around the classroom. Scott had a faraway look on his face, Isaac was fast asleep with his head on his desk and Stiles was mumbling incoherently to himself, something about keeping awake. His brother Aiden was still sleeping it off at the loft because he had taken the last hit and was still afflicted by mysterious chills. Lydia was absent too, probably home as well.

The bell rang. Ethan closed his book thankfully and was about to get up when an indignant voice greeted him.

"Where the hell did you disappear to last night?" Danny demanded, standing in front of Ethan's desk.

"Oh hey Danny" Ethan replied, slowly getting up on his feet, kind of glad that he had Danny to take his mind off of things. He needed a break anyway. He reached for Danny's hand but the boy jerked it away.

"I asked you a question," he said. Something in Danny's voice made Ethan look at the human's face closely. His body language had changed, like he was angry with Ethan.

"Sorry Danny, I got caught up with something" Ethan offered, trying to read the emotions on Danny's face, quite unsuccessfully.

"Something or someone?" Danny spat, rolling his eyes.

Ethan felt anger rising in his chest. _Did he just say that?!_ Ethan scoffed. "That's rich, Danny! Coming from the guy who cheated on me" he said viciously.

"I didn't cheat on you!"

"Oh really? Then what were you doing with your ex; a guy who, btw, broke up with you via a text? Tutoring him on how become a good kisser?" Ethan ranted, without considering his words much. He was stressed and worried about the events of the previous night. In the heat of the moment, the hurt he had felt when he saw Danny making out with the other guy also bubbled over.

Danny gaped slightly, hurt by Ethan's words. He couldn't believe what he just heard. _Did Ethan really have the right to judge him?_

Danny's own resentment now broke the barrier.

"You left," Danny countered in a dangerously low voice,"you left me for two weeks! No texts, no calls... what do you expect me to do? Huh?"

"Well, I'll tell you what I didn't expect. I didn't expect you to get around so quickly" Ethan taunted.

Furious, Danny shoved him hard, tears glistening in his eyes. The rough push seemed to have broken Ethan's resolve a bit and now when he noticed the tears, his face softened. He suddenly realised what he had done and regretted it immediately.

"Danny, I'm so sorry I didn't mean it" Ethan started, taking a step towards the boy in front of him but Danny backed away, shaking his head in disbelief.

"The hell you didn't!"

Ethan let out a deep breath. He mentally kicked himself for losing his cool. So much for trying to be human and winning Danny's affection, he thought.

"Danny, I was just... angry, okay? I got mad when I saw you kiss that jackass. You deserve better; and I want to be _that_ guy you deserve. I know I have a long way to go, but please Danny, let me be that guy for you." Ethan looked at Danny hopefully but the teen didn't smile or even acknowledge the fact that he heard the apology.

Ethan stepped forward attempting to put his arms around Danny but he shoved him away again, this time, harder.

"Hey!" Ethan let out, confused with his boyfriend's behaviour.

"You left me! YOU LEFT ME! And then you have the nerve to waltz back into my life and call me a cheat? HOW DARE YOU?! You know what, screw you. Just f*** off alright! I never want to see you." Danny yelled, turning around and storming towards the door. Suddenly he found Ethan standing in front of him. How Ethan managed it so quickly, he didn't know. And by then, he didn't care. He was too angry to care. He was too blinded by rage and hurt to see the look of genuine anguish on Ethan's face. He didn't see the tears in Ethan's eyes. He didn't hear the desperate apologies and promises to tell him the truth that Ethan made.

Danny pushed Ethan out of his way and coldly announced, "At least my ex left me a text. You know what, Ethan? You can never be the guy I deserve. Hell, you can't ever be good enough for anyone. I just wish I'd never met you! If you can Ethan, be _that_ guy for me, will you? The guy I never met."

With that Danny stormed out of the room, leaving Ethan hurt and in shock.

Aiden was rummaging through his locker. He wasn't looking for anything in particular. He was just stalling. Lydia was standing at her locker, reapplying lip gloss carefully and Aiden was waiting for an opportunity to go talk to her. After last night, he wanted to make sure she was okay. They had both just reached school, effectively missing the first class. Lydia turned and caught Aiden's eye. She was considering whether or not to come forward when their attention was shifted to the end of the hall.

"New student?" "I don't know, man! She's hot!" the whispers were spreading through the corridor. Everyone was turning to see the new entrant. Lydia craned her neck to see this new arrival and soon the girl came into her line of sight. She walked straight, carried a shiny black motorbike helmet in her hand. She wasn't American by the looks of it; probably south Asian. Her tanned skin was a give-away. She was wearing a sleek black leather jacket, on an all-black ensemble. Lydia noticed that even her boots were black with stylish silver buckles. She sniggered when she remembered how similar it was to the twins' entry last time. Thinking of the twins, she glanced over to Aiden. Immediately, she felt a pang of jealousy go through her. Aiden was looking at this new girl as if she was some dead-girl-walking. Like he'd seen a ghost; but a ghost that he was in love with.

Lydia's jaws dropped slightly when the girl came to a stop in front of Aiden. She looked at him with the same recognition (minus the confusion) and smiled.

"Don't I get a hello?" she said.

Aiden stood there for a good five seconds in complete silence before pulling her into a tight embrace.

Danny stormed out of the classroom into the corridor, just in time to catch the dramatic entry of the new student. He watched as Aiden hugged her. He also noticed the shock on Lydia's face. But his mind was still too occupied with his fight so he started walking in a huff to the locker room.

"Hey Ethan!" a voice called, cheerfully. Danny turned to see Ethan coming out of their classroom. The girl pulled out of Aiden's embrace and was grinning at Ethan. Ethan stared at her a long minute before striding towards her and hugging her. In an instant, the tears vanished. The sorrow and hurt in his face was replaced by a kind of happiness that Danny had never seen on either of the twins. The last time Ethan was anywhere near this happy was when they were in Glen Capri. But the thought made pain shoot through his heart. Ethan claimed to love him, to care about him. Yet, Danny had just dumped him with the meanest words possible and Ethan was already over it! That didn't look like someone who cared, Danny thought. He felt tears stinging his eyes. He turned around and walked away, this time towards the main entrance. He wanted to go home.

"Ethan doesn't care. I was right. From now, Ethan will be the guy I never met" he said to himself as he left the school building.

**AN: What do you think? I have some ideas about this but I'd love to hear your idea as to how you want this story to shape up... Plz do tell me. R&R! :D**

also, the original character will be revealed in greater details. but I can tell you now, she's a positive character, and the twins' best friend. I would love to know your views about her as well.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: In response to a suggestion asking to include Stiles, I'd love to but I dont think I can do justice to his brand of humour and stay true to his character. but the day I'm confidant enough, I will write one with him.  
as for this chapter, its a little slow paced (sorry!) but it was needed for the background and as build up. I really hope you will like it. R&R and be kind!**

**CHAPTER 2**

"The bite took", she said.

They were back at the penthouse where the twins lived. Aiden stood leaning casually against a closet while Ethan squatted on the sofa. The new girl sat in an armchair facing them both. Ethan still looked slightly overwhelmed at the sight of her but Aiden appeared to be examining her closely.

"So, you waited for 5 yrs to let us know you were alive?" Aiden asked, his voice barely masking the accusation. Ethan looked between them and raised an eyebrow at her. The girl sighed, looking at the ground. Ethan tilted his head, trying to catch her eye. "What happened after we left that day, Jenna?" he asked, sensing a problem. Jenna looked at him and smiled guiltily.

"I'm sorry guys, I really am!" she sighed again. Then taking a deep breath, she started her story.

"You guys left me for dead. I _almost_ was, just not yet. Something in me held. I could faintly hear you, crying and then leaving. The next thing I remember is waking up next morning. I had turned but was weak. By the time I was strong enough to go search for you, you guys were long gone. I couldn't even pick your scent. I didn't have any reason to stay there, so I left the city and started travelling. While I was up in Ohio, I found a pack. They were good people, you know? The alpha, his name was Dean. He convinced me to stay there with hi- I mean… them. That's the closest I ever came to having a family." Jenna's eyes were earnest, focusing on an invisible spot on the wall. The twins carefully considered her words. They didn't miss the way her voice had softened, barely above a whisper now. They also didn't miss the hint of tears in her eyes, but neither of them mentioned it.

"But a year later, I became an alpha." Jenna said, matter-of-factly. She sounded like she regretted it, but continued in an even voice. "I didn't have a pack anymore and needed a friend, so I decided to search for you all over again. And I found you."

Ethan's jaw dropped. Aiden came and joined his brother on the sofa in front of her in a huff. "You found us?" he growled, his eyes flashing blue.

Jenna suddenly smiled, and reaching over ruffled his head. Aiden's eyes turned back to normal. He was quiet taken aback by this sudden action and Ethan cracked an amused smile.

"Remember the time you boys, crashed a high school party a little over three years ago? You didn't go there for something evil; you went to have fun." Jenna smiled ruefully, "Deucalion found out and gave you hell. I was there. I was watching you."

"Then why didn't you meet us", Ethan asked.

"Because… I didn't want to have anything to do with an alpha pack. Much less one that's led by Deucalion." Jenna shrugged. She then got up and went to sit between the two brothers. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't come earlier, okay? I had good reason. But I'm here now! And nothing has changed. For me, you were and will always be, my best friends. And I feel you are also in need of a friend right now."

Aiden pursed his lips, and then nodded before breaking into smile. Ethan pulled Jenna into a childlike bear hug, grinning mischievously. "I'm glad you're back", he said even as Jenna playfully struggled to get free.

Danny sat in front of his computer, his mind elsewhere. He was still upset over the fight with Ethan. It wasn't like him to lose his temper. But he did. Ethan had pushed him over the edge, brought out the bad in him. Danny mentally went over the words exchanged. Each time he regretted his harsh words to Ethan. Man, he really did cross the line there. He told Ethan to "not exist!" He mentally kicked himself. "Who does that? How could I have said that!?" he wondered. Just then his phone rang. He reached for it nonchalantly and froze when he noticed the name. It was his ex.

"_I didn't expect you to get around to quickly."_ _"You cheated on me."_ Ethan's sneering voice echoed in his head. He felt his eyes sting again. He couldn't believe just how much those words had hurt. Sure, his previous relationships were unsuccessful, the endings weren't happy. But this!? It hurt more than all that put together! And Danny couldn't imagine why. The phone was ringing again. Danny took a deep breath, "Screw Ethan" he thought, "If he doesn't care, then why should I?" Exhaling, he picked up his phone.

"YOU SAID WHAT?" Jenna was starring at Ethan like he was crazy. "What on earth were you thinking?" her voice a pitch higher than normal as she glowered at her friend. Ethan looked guilty, extremely upset with himself. He looked over to Aiden, who just sat there quietly, still brooding over Lydia's words. It was the next morning and they had just filled Jenna in on the recent events, and she promptly scolded them on their actions so far. When Aiden told her what Lydia had said, she sided with Lydia telling Aiden that at least now he had a reason to try to be a better person again. And then Ethan told her about the fight the previous day. He was already feeling horrible because of what he told Danny and Jenna's rebuke didn't help.

Ethan looked at her sheepishly, "I didn't mean it! I was just too upset and caught up in all this!" Jenna folded her arms across and looked at Ethan sternly. The wolf sighed, "Well, in my defence he said he wished he'd never met me. Danny asked me to be 'the guy he never met'. He hates me." Jenna's glare softened and she leaned over, putting her arms around Ethan.

"Don't you see, you idiot!" she said, smiling. "Danny _cares_ about you! The only way he was ever gonna be over you was if you didn't exist! He told you to not exist for him because it's probably the only he can ever forget about you. The only way he can move on without hurting!" Ethan looked at her like she was speaking in Hebrew. Jenna rolled her eyes.

"Ethan, if you accused me of getting around, you would walk back home on your hands."

Ethan smirked, "I wouldn't doubt that."

Jenna smiled and continued. "All you have to do is let Danny know that you care, too. You have to show him that you're here for him, no matter what. Try putting him before yourself, for a change." Ethan nodded, his mind made up.

Jenna turned to Aiden, "And you, you learn to be worthy of someone. Would you really want to date someone who had _my_ blood on her hand?" Aiden slowly shook his head. "Then how can you expect Lydia to date you and never question what you've done?" Jenna asked.

Aiden sat quietly for sometime. Then he got up and gestured to Ethan. "Come on, today's a new day. Lets be human and get to school." Ethan smiled, standing up. Aiden turned to Jenna, "It's your first day of class Jenna, and you shouldn't be late." With that he started walking towards the door, Ethan and Jenna followed, grinning.

**Any suggestions pertaining to the plot will always be welcome. :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I'm sorry for this very short chapter but I didn't want to shift the focus to anything else in this chapter. the next one will be longer and will be posted soon, promise! hope you like it. R&R**

**Chapter 3**

Ethan scanned the high school crowd. There was still an hour to go before classes began and he was waiting for Danny. Danny always turned up early for some reason or the other and Ethan wanted to catch him then. He stood leaning against his bike, tapping his foot impatiently when Jenna pulled up on her bike beside him.

"Where were you? And where's Aiden?"

Jenna shrugged. "I was busy having a bag of nachos for breakfast. I don't know where Aiden went, but I bet it'll be something about Lydia."

Ethan nodded, still looking for Danny. "Who knew Aiden would ever fall for someone!"

Jenna laughed, "I could say the same about you!" Ethan turned to look at her.

"Well, some people are worth the effort." Jenna looked beyond Ethan and smiled, "I'm glad you feel that way. Now go, tell him the same thing" Ethan turned to see Danny walk into the parking lot. He didn't see Ethan and was walking towards the school building. Ethan let out a breath and took off after him.

"Danny?"

Danny looked up to see the wolf. He did an admirable job by keeping a straight face but Ethan could hear his heart literally skip a beat. Ethan's own skipped along with Danny's.

"Yeah?"

Ethan looked carefully at Danny's face, searching for some crack on the wall-like expression, for some hint of the smile he loved so much, but couldn't find any. So he took a deep breath and met Danny's eye.

"Listen, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all the time I hurt you, for the time I disappeared on you and for yesterday. You were right, Danny. I don't deserve you. You deserve better. And all I can say is, this ex boyfriend of yours, isn't that guy."

Danny arched his eyebrow slightly. "So, you're better than him? Is that what you're saying?"

Ethan sighed. He could hear Danny's heartbeat picking up speed but his own slowly and steadily breaking under the weight of his mistakes.

"I wish I could, Danny. But that's not what I meant. I want you to be with someone who treats you like a prince. Some one who treats you like the survivor you are. You deserve someone who treats you with respect. So, just promise me that moving on from here, you'll never compromise on that. You'll never settle for anyone who doesn't deserve you."

Danny nodded, his mouth slightly open out of surprise. His heart was beating like a humming bird's wings. Ethan shuffled on his feet before resuming.

"I also wanted to promise you something. I know you have questions that I can't answer now; and right now, I'm not the best example of a person. But someday I will be. Because I'll never stop fighting for you. I'll be right here and I hope that someday, I will be the guy you're proud of."

Danny's eyes were glistening with tears but he didn't blink. He _looked_ at Ethan properly for the first time since the fight and instantly knew that he still had very strong feelings for this guy. He knew that they were over, for now. But he also knew that Ethan was the only guy he ever wanted to be with. Danny swallowed, clearing his throat he said, "Thank you."

Ethan nodded, turned around and started walking towards the lacrosse ground. He blinked furiously trying to clear his blurry vision, hoping that no one would spot him like this, at his weakest moment. He had just been his vulnerable best in front of Danny and it was very difficult. It's not easy to tear down the walls and the façade of strength one has built over the years to protect one's self from hurting. But now, with Danny, Ethan couldn't be strong. He replayed Danny's voice when he said thank you. He had genuinely meant it. Danny had thanked Ethan for giving him the strength to move on. Ethan felt his heart sinking. Even through the blurry of tears he saw that Jenna was still standing next to the bike. She had probably heard everything. Silently, Ethan continued towards the lacrosse field.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: In an interview with Just Jared, Charlie Carver said that they are shooting for the 3B finale and then "It's a wrap. It's most definitely a wrap!" His words makes me wonder what's in store for the twins! :0  
**

**As for this chapter, I hope you will like it! plz do R&R!**

**Chapter 4**

Danny looked at the board absentmindedly. He was completely oblivious to the students filing into the classroom. He had his history book open on his desk but his mind was back at the parking lot.

"Is that seat taken?"

Danny jumped slightly at the sudden inquiry and looked up to see the new girl standing next to him. She was smiling at him warmly. Danny's inherent politeness immediately spread a small smile on his lips and he nodded a 'yes'. The girl sat down, put down her books and then offered Danny her hand.

"Thanks. I'm Jenna. I'm new here."

"I'm Danny." He shook her hand.

The coach walked into the class that very moment and they both turned to listen. By the time the class was over, they had been randomly paired for an assignment. As the coach lectured, Danny's mind strayed from the topic and returned to the fact that Ethan wasn't in class. _Where was he? _Danny twirled a pencil in his fingers. That morning, he was so taken aback by Ethan's words that he hadn't really had the chance to say anything. But now he did. He had loads of things to say. He wanted to tell Ethan how much he cared. He wanted to tell him that whatever Ethan was planning to do, they could do it together. He wanted to be better people, together. Danny knew he had said some extremely harsh words to Ethan. Words which Ethan had swallowed like a bitter pill, thinking that he deserved it. But the truth was, he didn't. Ethan didn't deserve to feel like the worthless waste of space Danny had made him sound like. He didn't deserve to believe that Danny's world was better off without him; and Danny desperately needed to tell him that. Only, he couldn't find the right words.

"…. So, you want to work in the library?"

"Huh?" Danny turned to see Jenna staring at him, as if expecting an answer.

"You haven't been listening, have you?" Jenna grinned.

Danny warmed up to her. Anyone who could have that genuine a smile must be nice, he thought. He gave her a sheepish grin.

"I'm sorry! The library sounds fine" he said. With that, they gathered up their belongings and left the classroom.

"So, umm, you seem to know the twins…" Danny hadn't seen Ethan anywhere and it was after recess. He figured, asking Jenna was the only way he could make some progress. But again, he didn't want to sound intrusive so he was choosing his words carefully.

Jenna looked up from her research paper and gave a sigh of relief. "I was wondering when you'd finally ask!"

Danny's jaw dropped slightly but he managed to mask that with a laugh (or so he hoped!).

"You knew -"

Jenna smiled at him brightly. "It was written all over your face."

In her mind, she had warmed up to Danny the moment they met. Now, when Danny flashed a dimpled, sheepish grin at her, she saw why Ethan had fallen for him. I like him, she decided.

"So, where is he?"

"He went in search of Aiden. Aiden took of in the morning and hasn't been heard of since, so he was getting worried about him." she left out the part where Ethan feared that those shadow creatures got his brother and had requested her to watch over Danny. "Ethan texted me a while ago saying that they went back to the pent house."

Danny let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

Jenna closely examined his face.

"You do care about him, don't you?"

Danny nodded. Then he sighed,"I just wish it was simpler."

"Good things never are." Jenna said, reflecting.

"How do you know them?"

"Foster home. As kids, we were bounced around quite a few foster homes before we landed up in the same one. That's where we became best of friends." Danny looked at her, aghast.

"Foster homes? He doesn't have any family?" he muttered, shocked.

"You didn't know?" Danny shook his head slowly.

Jenna nodded understandingly. "He never mentions it. In fact, even I don't. I don't know why I told you this."

Danny placed his hand over hers and shifted his chair closer. "I'm sorry."

Jenna shook her head, smiling. "Don't be, we're used to it. And we had each other."

"What happened, then?"

"We were twelve when in an accident the foster home was destroyed. They thought I had died in it. Since they didn't have anything to stay back for, they left. By the time I came to in a hospital, they were long gone. I searched for them for five years before I found them. That's when I landed up in Beacon Hills, yesterday."

"Why didn't he ever tell me this?" Danny asked, more to himself than to his new-found friend.

"Because it makes him feel vulnerable. The memories in that foster home were probably the worst ones in their lives. No one would like to bring up something that has hurt them so much." Jenna said, nonchalantly.

Danny felt his heart become heavy. He had always judged Ethan's secrecy. Always hated his detachment to things. But know he realized the whole story. Danny felt the need to see and hold Ethan come back, much stronger than before. He needed to be there for him. He cleared his throat, "Umm, Jenna, can we continue this tomorrow? I need to get home."

Jenna nodded, "sure. I'll see you tomorrow, then." Smiling warmly at her, Danny packed his bag and left.

* * *

"Why on earth did you tell him?" That was Ethan, his eyes flashing blue, glaring at his best friend.

"Because that's the truth. And Danny deserves to know." Jenna replied, firmly.

"But… you know I … " Ethan stammered, his eyes slowly turned back.

"You would have told him, wouldn't you? Then why not today?"

"I guess I was just… procrastinating" Ethan said.

Jenna nodded. "I get it. I went through the same things! But when you decided to fight for Danny, you made it important that Danny knows _who_ you are." Ethan looked at her apprehensively.

"You didn't—"

"Nope. I said the home was destroyed in an accident. And as for the being a werewolf part, you'll have to do the honors."

Ethan swallowed. "I just don't know how."

Jenna patted his shoulder, "You'll figure it out."

Aiden emerged out of his bedroom, "Guys, it's almost sunset. We need to get to Scott's."

"Yes," Ethan chimed in, "He says he's got an alarm system or something to keep the demons out."

"So, did you find out what those demons want?" Jenna asked.

"The Oni are looked for a Nogitsune, a dark Kitsune. They normally don't harm others but we're taking no chances with Scott, since the Nogitsune is till out there." Aiden said, pulling over his jacket.

They walked to the door and opened it, then froze in their tracks. Danny stood at the door, his arm raised midway, as if preparing to knock.

The three wolves looked at each other before turning to their guest. Danny shuffled on his feet nervously.

"Can I talk to you, Ethan?" Ethan nodded, opening the door wide and allowing Danny to walk in.

Behind them the sun went down, casting ominous dark shadows around all four of them.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: I really hope you like this chapter. Its essentially the lull before the storm. Also, I would LOVE to hear what you think of the original character, Jenna, at this point. And where do you think Ethan and Danny go from here?**

**Chapter 5**

"What are you doing here?" Ethan asked.

Danny continued to rub the back of his head with his hand, looking at his feet. "He is nervous", Ethan observed, silently.

"I ... ummm, I wanted to talk to you, alone," Danny said. Ethan turned to Aiden and Jenna. Jenna started to walk out but Aiden caught her hand. "Hey, it's our house! You take your little rendezvous to the elevator", he said, smirking.

Ethan caught his brother's teasing tone. Shaking his head darkly he beckoned Danny to come outside.

"So, what's up?"

"I just felt like talking to you" Danny said, sounding unsure himself.

Ethan sighed. "Jenna told me that she spoke to you. I was expecting you to call, actually. Just not right now."

Danny gave a sigh of relief. "Why didn't you tell me any of this?"

"I didn't want you to think any less of me" Ethan said, nonchalantly. Danny's eyes widened in surprise.

"Ethan, if anything, I understand your situation more, now! I get it! Why the hell would you think like that?"

Now, it was Ethan's turn to look at his feet. "I would have told you, just not yet. My brother and I, we have tried very hard to leave all that behind."

Danny nodded, understandingly. "Yes, Jenna told me."

Ethan looked at Danny. He was examining the expression on Danny's face, the compassion, the understanding. _Would it still be there when the whole truth came out? _He wondered. _Would Danny be just as understanding to the real Ethan, the werewolf, who had killed almost a dozen people? _Ethan cleared his throat. "Jenna... left out certain... well... details" he stammered, barely able to look up.

Danny took a step towards Ethan and peered intently at his face.

"What details? Did something else happen?"

Ethan nodded. "The fire, which destroyed the foster home, we... we set the fire."

Danny's jaws dropped. He stood there, wide-eyed, the shock clearly visible.

"WHAT? ETHAN, HOW COULD YOU? WHY?"

Ethan recoiled at the reaction but stood his ground somehow.

"It was bad, Danny. Those people, they hurt us. They were... monsters. And they made us into monsters, too" he said, not knowing how else to put it.

"What do you mean?"

Ethan sighed, heavily. "They treated us like slaves. They took advantage of us, abused us. All this went on quietly, until Jenna turned up. We became friends. So, we wanted to prevent her from going through the same. We started fighting back. That's when the beatings started. We were kids, there was nothing we could do." Ethan stopped to take a deep breath. Danny was listening in a rapt attention, his eyes fixed on Ethan's, examining every change in expression. "Go on." Ethan looked at the boy in front of him, and then continued.

"We stumbled upon their secret one day. That's when things got worse, if that was even possible. We realised that they were... umm... werewolves."

Danny stared at Ethan for a couple of minutes before letting put a strangled laugh. "Werewolves... right."

Ethan put his hands on Danny's shoulder and looked him squarely in the eye. "They turned us; abused us for weeks, before we finally found the courage to flee. That's when we set the fire, to kill them."

Danny had stopped laughing. He was now staring at Ethan like he was crazy. He didn't want to believe this cock-and-bull story; _but why would anyone say such an improbable lie?_

"If you don't want to tell me the truth, then don't! But don't make me look like an idiot by telling me stuff like this!"

Ethan's heart sank. Danny didn't believe him. But he was determined to tell Danny the truth. He had come way too far not to. He caught Danny's hand and put it on his cheek. Then, he wolfed out.

* * *

Ethan's eyes turned blue. Under his hand, the face changed. The face he had known and loved changed into that of a wolf's. Not fully though but enough to make Danny's hand go cold. His heart started beating very fast and terrified, he jumped back, landing on the stairwell. He lost his footing on the uneven ground and crashed down the flight of stairs. Danny didn't know what was happening till he reached the landing. He felt his body hurt as it came in contact with the stairs. He felt his ankle twist painfully. The moment he came to a stop, he opened his eyes to see Ethan peering at his face. _How did he come down so fast? Oh, of course, he's a werewolf._ Danny's mind whirred like an ill-oiled machine. He didn't know what to do, what to think. His mind barely registered Ethan's worried face and flurry of questions.

"Danny? Are you okay? Danny, look at me! Danny?" Ethan called out to his brother. In a fraction of a second, Aiden and Jenna materialized before Danny. "We need to get him to the hospital" Ethan was saying. Danny felt a pair of hands gently lift him off the ground and carry him. In spite of himself, his dazed mind relaxed into the familiar touch. By the time his mind was fully working again, he was in the car seat with Ethan holding him steady. Jenna sat beside him looking him over for any other injuries. Aiden was driving.

Danny looked around slowly.

"I think I just sprained my ankle." He felt his throat rasp.

Jenna gave him a small smile. "You were lucky. It was a bad fall."

Danny looked at Ethan's worried face and realised that they were still going to the hospital. No amount of "I'm okay" was going to ease Ethan's nerves. Danny swallowed dryly, and not knowing what to say, turned to Jenna.

"You knew about... " Jenna looked down, silent. Realisation dawned on Danny.

"Oh, you too, huh!" Jenna nodded, slowly, not wanting to scare Danny any more than he already was.

"Don't worry. We'd never hurt you", she said. Danny nodded again, fixing his eyes on the road. A minute passed in complete silence. Then suddenly, Aiden chuckled. After a few seconds Jenna joined him. Aiden, his eyes fixed on the road, finally spoke up.

"Hey, Danny! We're sorry we scared the shit out of you."

Danny gave him half a smile. He saw that Ethan was annoyed at the two for chuckling but behind the wall of concern, even he was amused, ever so slightly. Danny allowed himself a full smile.

"I bet no one took the news in a more colourful way than I did?!" Danny said, looking at Ethan. Ethan raised his eyebrows as Aiden sniggered.

"We never told anyone." Ethan replied, hoping Danny would get the hint. Danny did, and nodded silently.

"Oh, FYI, Scott and Isaac are werewolves too." That was Aiden. He was unabashedly enjoying the whole awkward yet comical situation, much to Ethan's annoyance.

Danny blinked, "oh?"

Jenna nodded, and then pulled the most earnest face she could ever make. "Yes, and Allison is a werewolf hunter. And Lydia is a banshee." Danny stared at her, his mouth hanging open.

"I can Google a banshee, right?" he asked, the corners of his lips slowly curling up. Jenna laughed.

"And what is Stiles?" Danny asked turning to Ethan.

Ethan grinned, "Stiles is just crazy."


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: I hope you like it! and Plz plz plz review! :D**

**Chapter 6**

Danny sat on the bed. Melissa had checked him over. He had been lucky, in the sense that, he had no broken bones. She put a light bandage on his sprained ankle and gave him a slight pain medicine. The kind that doesn't mess with one's head, Danny had insisted on those. He felt like his mind wouldn't be able to take anymore than it already had. Now, all the activity had died down. Ethan sat at the foot of his bed, while Danny squatted comfortably beside him. They sat close enough but not touching each other. Danny had very carefully taken care of that detail. Ethan knew that but he didn't want to push it. He had, after all, wolfed out in front of Danny and then ousted his friends to be supernatural creatures; and then, as if it wasn't enough, Ethan had admitted to killing people. He was over the moon with the fact that Danny was still letting Ethan be around him!

"Are you okay?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah, the pain med is working", Danny replied, casually.

Ethan cleared his throat. "That's not what I meant. But you know that already, don't you?" Danny continued to stare at the spotless bed sheet. Ethan persisted, mostly because the silence was driving him crazy. "Danny, are _we_ okay?"

Danny sighed, his face scrunched up, as if trying to arrange his thought into words. Then he looked at Ethan.

"I'm not sure. Ethan, I knew for a long time that something was off about Beacon hills. I started that project on telluric currents, not to please Mr Harris, but because I wanted to know what was going on."

Ethan blinked. _Danny had known all this while? Not about werewolves but about the weird occurring. Did he know the project almost cost him his life?_ Ethan wondered. But he let Danny continue, even though his heart painfully constricted and sank with every passing minute.

Danny swallowed and resumed. "Look, I can still deal with the werewolf part. It wasn't your fault and God knows you've suffered enough for this. And for some reason, I refuse to believe that you would ever hurt me, or lose control around me. Although, just believing that would make this much easier." Ethan's eyes widened. He opened his mouth to say something but ended up closing it again, almost like a fish out of water.

Danny's own eyes clouded over, Ethan's were already tearing up slightly. "What I cannot deal with, is the fact that you've killed people. I cannot accept that. Nothing justifies murdering people, Ethan. And that's something that I cannot live with. I'm sorry."

Ethan hung his head shamefully, the anguish making itself visible in the form of tears. But he nodded, understandingly.

"I get it. Honestly, I'm proud of you." Danny tilted his head, looking at Ethan questioningly.

Ethan let out a sad, grudging smile. "You are too good, too strong and pure to be dating a murderer. You deserve way better."

With that Ethan got up; leaning in he kissed Danny's forehead and let his lips linger on his skin for a few seconds, and finally pulled away. He turned and left the room, making sure to close the door behind him. Danny felt the touch of Ethan's lips fill his heart with a feeling of closure, or so he hoped. But he realised that closure was the further-est thing from his soul right now. So he silently settled in to grieve the end of a relationship, with the only boy he had ever dared to fall in love with.

* * *

"Its Stiles", Aiden said, decisively. Scott, Derek and Isaac stood around, looking grave.

"We can't let the Oni have him." Scott said, his face set.

"We have to get him out of the Nogitsune's control", Derek said, looking around in the flickering light.

They were at the abandoned corridor on the third floor. Faulty electric supply had forced the hospital to shift patients to the floors below. As the shadows merged in and out of darkness, the pack grew increasingly worried. They turned their focus on the shivering, slight teenager sitting right in the middle of the circle.

Stiles looked up at Scott, his expression woeful. "You can't help me, can you, Scott? This thing... it'll... it'll kill me!" he cried, trembling uncontrollably. Scott bent down and hugged Stiles tightly.

"I promise you, Stiles, I'm going to find a way. I will not let anything, or anyone, kill you." Scott held still as Stiles cried into his shoulder. He was terrified. They all were. They were pitted against an evil spirit who had taken control of their friend. The wolves had no clue how to go about it. The elevator door opened and Ethan walked out. He seemed distraught, but focussed. Aiden went over to him.

"I need to make sure Lydia reaches home, safely" he said, "I'll be back in a few minutes." Scott and Ethan nodded. Aiden disappeared behind the metal doors.

The lights along the corridor flickered again and then they were plunged into semi darkness. The Oni had arrived. They braced themselves. They had to make sure that Stiles didn't fall into the hands of the Japanese demons. They'd take of the Nogitsune later.

Ethan turned to Jenna who was standing quietly in a corner, observing the group. "Go down and make sure Danny is safe."

Jenna nodded. "Sure, whatever you need." She went away, just as the first figure stepped out of the shadows.

The demon lunged at Derek who swiftly moved out of the way, landed on his feet and dragged his claw through the demon. The demon dissipated into darkness and appeared right next to Stiles. Scott's eyes flashed red and he growled as he lunged at the demon. Derek was about to attack when he got thrown backward by another Oni who appeared just behind him. All of them were fully occupied by then. The Oni appeared out of nowhere and disappeared into darkness when they landed a blow.

"Isaac!" Scott yelled, when another demon came too close to Stiles. Isaac threw a metal rod around, forcing the demon to dissipate, even as Stiles struggled with his anxiety. Ethan pushed Scott out of the way of a katana that otherwise would have sliced him in half. Falling on the ground in a bunch, Scott nodded a brief thanks to Ethan. The battle continued.

"Scott, we can't hold them much longer!" Derek yelled, his voice tense. Scott looked around the corridor. The Oni were attacking from every direction. The wolves were being thrown around but they kept getting back up on their feet, trying to defend themselves. The corridor was in a mess.

Ethan took in the picture and whispered to Scott, "What do we do now?"

Scott just stared ahead, paralysed with dread, "I don't know."

* * *

Jenna pupils were moving fast, as if she was focussing on something far away.

"You're listening aren't you?" Danny asked, the tension on her face rubbing off on him. She nodded.

"What's happening?"

"It looks bad. Aiden isn't back yet. Scott's pack is outnumbered." Jenna reported. With the battle going only one floor above them, she could almost smell the desperation and fear. She herself was on the edge.

"Look, I'm fine. You go help them." Danny urged.

"I can't Danny, I –"she stopped, "what's that bag doing here?" she pointed to a small back pack inconspicuously sitting in a corner.

Danny turned to see what she was looking at.

"Oh that? Lydia left it here when she dropped by. Right after Ethan left."

Jenna's face broke into a wide smile.

"Thank God for you, Lydia", she whispered under her breath. "Danny, I need you to seal the room with the powder in that bag. It's mountain ash. Lydia must have sensed it. Do it, now!" she commanded. Danny limped over to the bag and followed the instructions Jenna gave him, carefully. She waited outside till the whole room was encircled.

Then she turned to Danny, "Don't let anyone enter. Okay?" Danny nodded. Within seconds, she disappeared down the corridor.

Derek had a large gash across his chest, but it was already half healed. Scott's cheek was bleeding sluggishly. Isaac was pinned on the ground. One demon stood over him, prepared to drive the sword through his heart. Isaac closed his eyes, screwing his face. But the sword never came. He opened his eyes instead to see the  
girl – Jenna—offering him a hand. He took it, amazed.

"Thank me later," she said, before moving on to another demon.

Aiden appeared by Scott's side and put his claws through the nearest demon. They were all tiring out and Jenna and Aiden's arrival was a welcome addition. The struggled continued for ten more minutes before the Oni suddenly disappeared. The pack looked around, surprised at the sudden retreat. The lights flickered on, fully illuminating the destruction caused to the hospital wing. Then suddenly Scott spoke up in a terrified voice, "Guys, where is Stiles?"

The wolves looked amongst themselves, confused. Then Derek shook his head, distressed. "The Nogitsune must have taken over."

Just a then a phone rang. Startled, Jenna brought out her phone.

"It's Danny", she announced, "Danny, is everything okay?" she said, into the phone.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Don't worry, Stiles is here with me. Are you guys alright?" Danny's voice said over the speaker. Jenna's eyes grew wide. She looked up at the rest and saw that the same fear reflected in all of them.

"Yeah Danny, just stay there, okay? Hold on!" Jenna said, barely able to mask the concern in her voice. She disconnected the call.

"It's not Stiles in there, it's the Nogitsune," Aiden said, looking meaningfully at Ethan, who lips were pressed into a thin line.

Scott looked almost close to tears, "And Danny has no idea."

Ethan, Jenna and Aiden took off running towards the elevator, the rest of the group following closely. They had to save Danny.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Thanks for the encouragement guys! So, here is the bulk of the action, as promised. Plz do let me know what you think of it! R&R!**

**Chapter**** 7**

Danny sat on his bed; Stiles paced the floor anxiously beside him. There was something off about him. No silly gestures, animated conversation starters and clever quips. But Danny attributed all that to the fact that his best friends were trying to fight a bunch of armed shadows. From the looks of it, they weren't doing too good.

"They are going to be fine, Stiles."

Stiles looked at Danny, neck craning slightly. Danny thought he saw contempt on his face, but the next second Stiles gave him a nod, as if acknowledging his words. Danny smiled.

"It's pretty crazy, isn't it?" Danny said. Again, Stiles nodded, "Oh, you have no idea just how crazy!"

There were multiple hurried footsteps heard in the corridor and the door flew open. It was only after Ethan stepped into the room did Danny realize that the all-important mountain ash seal was already broken.

"Probably broke when I opened the door for Stiles", he thought. In any case, he was relieved to see Ethan standing in front of him, unhurt. Aiden stood beside him, fangs bared, Jenna peered over his shoulder. Ethan, however, was focused on Stiles.

"Danny, come here", Ethan ordered, his eyes still on Stiles.

Danny suddenly became aware of the almost tangible tension in the room. If he was offended by the tone Ethan assumed, he didn't show it. Danny got off the bed but Stiles put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him down, making him sit again.

"What's the hurry?" he sneered, darkly.

Ethan lurched forward, eyes flashing in rage, but Jenna stopped him. The twins looked at each other and moved into the room, allowing the rest to file in. Scott looked directly towards his best friend.

"Come on, Stiles. This is not you", he whispered, earnestly.

Stiles laughed. The laugh sent chills down Danny's spine. This wasn't Stiles. It was a different person altogether! Danny felt his heart start beating faster. _What the hell was happening around him?_ He swallowed dryly.

"Stiles, I know you're in there buddy! Fight!" Scott said, taking two steps forward, slowly. Ethan watched Scott through the corner of his eyes. Scott was trying to keep Stiles occupied enough to get to Danny. Ethan felt a surge of respect towards the teenager.

"Stiles is fighting alright, just not winning", the possessed boy sneered.

Danny, who was all this while sitting very still, suddenly hopped down from the bed and made a dash for the door. Scott, taken by surprise, jumped out of the way. But the possessed Stiles was faster than all of them. He caught up to Danny even before Scott regained his balance. Derek growled lunging at Stiles but he put Danny directly in between them, forcing Derek to stop as Danny struggled against the headlock.

"Got to admire the spirit", Stiles said, tightening his grip.

Ethan growled lunging forward, this time unchecked. Stiles shoved him off with one hand, sending him flying across the room. But Isaac was already beside Stiles, wrenching Danny free from the slightly weakened grip. Taking that opportunity Derek flew at Stiles and they both landed on the floor. Isaac pushed Danny to one side of the room and went help Derek, who was already being overpowered by the Nogitsune. Stiles was already on his feet when Jenna landed a punch squarely at his jaw, making his head snap backwards.

"Don't hurt him!" Scott yelled at his pack running towards his friend.

But Stiles, landing on the bed side table, smiled. He caught the lamp and swung it like a sword, the electricity crackling across the room. The wolves ducked, Scott flew back into the wall, having caught the shock directly at his chest. Ethan and Aiden launched at Stiles trying to prevent him from taking any more hits at Scott. Isaac, in a smart athletic move, kicked Stiles in the knee making him loose his balance.

Danny watched from the corner, terrified. It was like an action movie playing in slow motion in front of his eyes, only he knew that no director would yell, "cut", and everyone wouldn't go home unscathed. Suddenly, the overhead lights flickered off and the Oni stepped out from the shadows. Pulling out their sword they closed in on Stiles, but he struck down the first one very easily. The pack watched in horror as Stiles drew out a firefly which evaporated into darkness in his hand, even as he looked at it with an evil smile. The Oni raised their weapon again, this time aiming at Derek who had crept closer to Stiles, trying to incapacitate him, but Scott ran his claws through the demon, giving Derek enough time to push Stiles away. The teen landed in a heap, then when he looked up, all the contempt was gone. He was scared, terrified and close to tears. He was just… _Stiles._

He looked towards Scott. "Help! It's me!" he pleaded.

Scott looked like a breath had caught in his chest. He rushed forward, and bending down he embraced Stiles. For a few seconds everyone looked on warmly upon the beautiful and heart rending scene in front of them. Then suddenly, a demon appeared right in front of them, ready to put its katana right through the two boys.

* * *

"Scott!" Isaac called out rushing forward, but he was too far away. And, too late. The sword came down; Scott felt his body tense up as he protectively shielded his best friend with his own.

A collective gasp went through the room, but the sword never landed on him.

"Ethan! NO!"

Scott turned to see Ethan standing over him, his hand lightly holding the katana that had sliced cleanly through his abdomen and was now embedded there. The demon dissipated, so did the sword. Ethan stood frozen for a second before falling to the ground.

"Ethan!" Danny's terrified screech sounded from the corner as he rushed towards them. Aiden and Jenna too rushed forward, their faces a picture of pure terror and shock.

"No! NO! NO! No!" Aiden chanted, placing Ethan's head carefully on his lap. He tapped his brother's face lightly, as if trying to wake him from his afternoon nap. "Hey, Ethan! Get up, man. Don't do this!" he whispered, his voice cracking ever so slightly. Jenna crouched next to him holding Ethan's hand, feeling his pulse. Danny skid to a stop on the floor right beside the group; the rest stood around them, still in shock. Ethan's eyes were open but glassy. He was taking short breaths and each time he inhaled he made a harsh sound. His eyes flickered, moving from Aiden to Jenna to Danny; as if he wanted to say something but his voice was caught in his throat. He gave a hollow cough and blood began to seep out of his mouth. Then his eyes rolled back in to his head.

Stiles stood clinging to Scott, his expression, aghast.

"Is he dead?" he asked, trembling.

"He's alive, but barely," Jenna called, distressed. She turned her large eyes around the stunned group. "Do something!" she yelled.

"The ER is downstairs. Let's go!" Scott replied flying into action, even though he was still dazed from the events.

Aiden and Isaac pulled Ethan up, carefully. As they hurried out, Derek turned to look at Scott. "I'll call Deaton."

* * *

Melissa looked from Scott to Isaac. Scott could tell from her face that the news wasn't pretty.

"Mom, just say it."

Melissa took a deep breath. "The sword sliced through his stomach, mauled a part of his intestines and punctured a kidney. The surgeon stitched him up. But…" she stopped, not knowing how to say it.

"But what, Mrs McCall?" It was Aiden, Danny and Jenna flanked him on either side.

"He's not healing. His condition is not good."

Aiden felt a deep growl rise within him but checked himself when he felt Jenna's hand on his shoulder. Danny felt bile rise in his throat and fought very hard to contain himself.

"Well, maybe he just needs time. He's just out of surgery, so…"

Jenna shook her head. "No. The surgery took 6 hours! A werewolf should be healed by then", she said angrily. Yes, she was angry; she was furious. Her best friend got stabbed and lay dying in front of her and she couldn't do anything. Aiden was fuming beside her but she still had her hand firmly on his shoulder, keeping him in line. Danny let out a frustrated groan, running his hand through his hair. He wanted to bang his head against the wall but decided not to.

"Mrs McCall? There is something else, isn't there?" Isaac came forward, putting his hands on her shoulder so that she would be facing him.

"Yes." It was a third voice. They turned to see Deaton walk up to them. Melissa looked at him, pursing her lips helplessly. Deaton nodded, "They need to know, Melissa."

Then he turned to their anxious faces once again.

"Ethan's has been in and out of consciousness. His wounds aren't healing. In fact, he has been bleeding and coughing up black blood," Deaton looked around at the distressed faces around him, "There's nothing we can do to save him."

**AN: Plz dont hate me! Dont okay?! :P *frantically searches for a cure for Ethan* I'm trying!**


	8. Chapter 8 - I only evr wantd a 2nd chnce

**AN: I really hope you like this chapter. do read and ALWAYS review!**

**Chapter 8**

Danny paced the waiting room impatiently. His ankle protested but he ignored the silent ache he felt. He didn't care. If anything, the pain soothed him. At least, he could still feel the pain, he thought. There were voices outside the waiting room. He picked out Scott and Melissa's along with Derek and possibly Deaton. His first instinct was to rush out and hear what they were saying but the grave tone made him change his mind. "No good," he told himself. "Had there been any good news, they would have been happy," he continued pacing the floor. Just then the door opened and Isaac stepped in. Danny stopped to see his face and then went back to pacing again.

"Keep going like that and you might wear out the floor tiles," said Isaac.

Danny stared at him and then in a huff went and dropped into a chair near the door. Isaac sat down quietly beside him.

"Still the same?" Danny asked, not meeting Isaac's eye. Isaac nodded.

Danny gave out a frustrated groan. "Is there nothing you can do?" he asked, visibly at his wit's end. Isaac pursed his lips and then leaned close to Danny.

"I'm going with Deaton, now. There might be some herb which could help but we're not sure yet. If there is a cure, I promise you, we'll find it," Isaac explained in a low voice, as if comforting a child. Danny looked at him, his lips quivered but he pulled a strong face.

"Need any help?"

Isaac smiled but shook his head. "Alison and Lydia are coming with us. That's help enough. I think you'll be more useful here," he said. Danny took in a sharp breath. "I'm a human who can hack computers. What good can I be here?" he stated ruefully, the sarcasm seeping into his voice.

Isaac stood up and patted Danny's shoulder. "Danny, it's okay to be afraid. We all are. But right now, it doesn't matter whether you can hack computers or not. It matters whether you can be there for Ethan."

Isaac gave him an encouraging nod and left, closing the door behind him. Danny sat still, staring at door long after it had closed.

_Be there for Ethan. Of course, but how? _Danny felt like he would start bawling like a kid any second. He repressed that urge and stood up decisively. He took in a deep breath and walked out of the room.

* * *

Aiden sat beside Ethan's bed. Ethan had been coughing up black blood for quite some time now and Aiden had taken it upon himself to sit and wipe it from his brother's lips. He knew it wasn't the most macho thing he had ever done but this was his brother in question. He didn't know how else to help him. Aiden had felt angry, infuriated, frustrated and helpless all at once. For a moment he had thought that he would lose control, but within seconds it was only concern that had won him over. Concern for his twin; and he was ready to do anything that would remotely comfort him. Ethan had been happy to see him there. He had asked him if they were all okay before falling asleep again. Ethan's words had sounded hollow and forced, like it was difficult to speak. Aiden saw a small trickle of blood so he leaned in to wipe it again but a hand rested on his shoulder, making him stop and turn. It was Danny.

"I'll do it," he said, taking the rag from Aiden's hand very gently but firmly. Aiden started at him, but relaxed his fingers over the cloth. He moved over and Danny took his place, wiping away the blood. He then readjusted the pillow and pulled in the seat closer to the bed, and sat down. Aiden blinked at the set up in front of him. When he saw that the concern had been taken over for, the anger returned in full force.

"You know, the only reason Ethan stayed back in high school was because he liked you," Aiden started. "Do you which day it was? The day we found you _making out with that piece of shit_," he said, vengefully, emphasizing the words. "Imagine Ethan's dismay when he saw that. And now, suddenly, you care about him?" Aiden raised his eyebrows as if it was a dare, "what changed?"

Danny looked at him with an honest face. "Yes, I behaved like a jerk; but only because I had no idea you two were back. I like Ethan, a lot! While I know I'm not your favorite person on earth, but you can't pretend I never cared about him," he said, clearly. Then he turned to Ethan, slowly running his fingers through Ethan's hair.

"Aiden, sitting here and taking care of him is the only thing that I can do. But you can do more. You can go find him that cure Isaac was about." Aiden's eyebrows knitted together in a quizzical look. Deaton had mentioned it to him and it took him a split second to decide. He nodded at Danny. "Just make sure Ethan is still a… _here _when we get back," he said and went out.

Danny woke at the slight sound of pained gurgling. It had been almost three hours and he had dozed off. He looked up to see Ethan staring back at him, his expression pained but his eyes evidently happy to see him.

"Danny…"

"I'm right here, Ethan," Danny whispered, leaning in closer.

"You okay?" Ethan asked, his voice was raspy and words, abrupt. It obviously took him a lot of effort to speak. Danny felt a warm pressure rise in his throat as his heart flipped.

"I'm absolutely fine, you idiot," he said lovingly, caressing Ethan's face. His eyes were getting blurry but he held his ground.

Ethan's lips curled up a bit. "Promise me something?"

Danny nodded vigorously, "Anything!"

"You won't choose _that_ jerk," Ethan said, his eyes twinkling with mischief and tinged with agony. Danny let out a tortured laugh.

"That's what you care about? For what it's worth, I'd never choose him!"

"Then who – ", Ethan stopped and grimaced in pain. Danny bent over him in concern but Ethan waved him off weakly. Danny sighed, "I'd always choose you, Ethan. Wasn't that obvious?"

Ethan blinked. "But I'm no good for you…" he coughed, roughly.

"You are! You are the best I could ever hope to get! I love you!" Danny said, earnestly.

"I love you too!" Ethan whispered. "Can you hold me?"

Without a word, Danny climbed into the bed carefully. He lay down on his side, their bodies touching, placed his hand on the pillow so that Ethan's head rested on his arm. Ethan snuggled upto him as much as he could without moving his still-bleeding torso. Then he let out a sigh of content.

"I only ever wanted a second chance, Danny."

Danny felt tears slide down his cheek, this time no amount of blinking helped. "You'll get as many chances as you want. Just hang on, Ethan," Danny sobbed. He waited for Ethan to reply but was greeted only by silence. He looked at Ethan's face and realized that he had passed out again.

* * *

"He's awake, so that's good right?" Aiden stated, trying to convince his friend. It was annoying him that Jenna refused to agree.

"NO! Every moment that he is awake, Ethan is in Unholy pain!" Jenna said, spinning around to face Aiden angrily. Aiden fumed but he knew she was right. She rounded on him, "Aiden, go back to the clinic and get those herbs. Ethan isn't healing, and he badly needs to!" she said, her voice grave and sinister. Aiden growled angrily. That's all they had at the moment. Anger. That was the only thing that had kept them going, kept them from falling apart. Jenna paced the room like a caged animal. Aiden left, his mind jumping from one question to another. Two minutes later, Jenna heard someone else enter the room. Derek. He came in and stopped when he saw her. They nodded formally, acknowledging each other. He sat down and Jenna went back to her angry pacing. She hated the feeling of helplessness. It wasn't new to her. She had lost friends before and she didn't want to go through it again. Her mind flashed back to the last moments with Dean. She had never told the twins that Dean wasn't just her alpha. They were in love. And then, he died. Murdered, in front of her eyes. She had buried him, her whole pack. It had torn her apart and she knew if anything happened to Ethan, they would never recover. She and Aiden both, they'd fall apart. Suddenly, something in her brain clicked, her eyes flashed a brilliant red. She turned to Derek.

"You… you healed your sister, didn't you?" Derek, who was lost in his own thought jumped at being addresses so suddenly. Then he nodded.

Jenna strode over to him, her face set. "Tell me, how."


	9. Chapter 9- the Sacrifice

**AN: tell me what you think of this! There is more of the side characters in this chapter but it was necessary, given the circumstances.**

**also, I always imagined the second part of this happening like an episode in slow motion, heightening the tension with the Intro by The xx playing in the background! (such shots being a patent TW speciatlity)**

**always review!**

**Chapter 9**

"_Tell me, how."_

Derek looked at Jenna with a grudging admiration. He silently nodded and opened his mouth, "It's very dangerous. I took away her pain, long enough to actually heal the source of the pain. Peter had warned me, so, I should too. Healing Ethan will cost you your alpha spark. If you go overboard, it'll kill you."

Jenna listened closely, eyes on the floor, thinking fast. She waved away the warning about the spark.

"I don't care", she said, "I just need Ethan to be okay."

Derek nodded, understandingly. "Well, then I guess you should give it a try. But be very, _very_ careful!" Jenna smiled reassuringly. She was about to leave when they were interrupted by a third voice at the door.

"That's not all that easy, I'm afraid." It was Deaton.

"Why?" Jenna asked; eyebrows knitted together in impatience.

"It'll kill you." Deaton stated.

Derek came up to stand beside Jenna. "But I survived", he said. Jenna simply shrugged, not wanted to sound like an echo, and looked at Deaton as if waiting for him to move out of the way.

Deaton took two steps forward instead, and faced the girl firmly. Jenna's behavior reminded him of the caged animals who were poked at by a crowd for fun in medieval times. She wore an expression that he had seen so often on his patients, animals who are in captivity and in pain. He felt sorry for her.

"Listen Jenna, you and Derek aren't the same. If you try to do this, you'll almost certainly die," Deaton said, taking care to emphasize on the consequence. Derek looked utterly confused but Jenna seemed to be getting what Deaton meant.

"But… but it only means I'm much more powerful than him! My chances of survival should be greater," she replied, her voice inquisitive.

Derek sighed impatiently. "What are you guys talking about?"

Deaton turned to him. "Your friend here", Deaton said, pointing to Jenna, "is a True Alpha."

Derek's eyes widened. His mind immediately replayed the scenes from their fight with the Oni. He remembered how skilled she was, how powerful. With things happening so fast, it had completely escaped his mind. Now the superior display of power suddenly fell into place. Jenna was still looking at Deaton for an explanation. Deaton relented.

"Derek gave up his spark to heal Cora and survived as a beta. But you, you are a true alpha; which means, under normal circumstances, a sacrifice such as this qualifies you to become an alpha all over again."

Jenna tilted her head, thought racing but the air of confusion still there. "So, by giving up the spark, I'll become a beta and then an alpha again. How does that kill me?" she asked, incredulously.

Deaton cleared his throat. "The power surge. Going from beta to alpha results in a huge power surge. Your body will be very weak after the sacrifice and it won't be able to handle it. This very quick transformation, the incredible power…. It will tear your body apart from inside. There is no way for you to survive this."

Jenna stared at the doctor, shocked. She took a deep breath and gulped, "Tell me you found that herb Isaac told Aiden about?!"

Deaton's calm expression didn't change much but his eyes flickered.

"I did. But the herb is only found in certain places in northern Europe. I came here to check on Ethan and tell you guys that I'm awaiting a Fedex parcel from across the continent." He hoped his voice sounded more confident and self assured than he felt. When Derek raised an eyebrow at him, Deaton simply shrugged and said, "I have my sources."

"But Ethan doesn't have that kind of time," Jenna spoke up, her voice even, like she was announcing a math problem in class. The men turned to look at her. Something in her voice made then uneasy.

She looked at them, "Relax, I'll just go see Ethan." She walked out of the room, coolly, leaving the two men staring at each other in fearful contemplation.

* * *

(Intro by The xx)

She walked into the room to see Danny curled up around Ethan's prone form on the bed. Ethan was unconscious, his face extremely pale. It was like all the color had been drained from him. Danny had put Ethan's head on his arm, placed his own face at the crook of Ethan's neck. He had his other arm gingerly wrapped around the injured boy. It looked like Danny was holding onto Ethan for his dear life. As she came close, Jenna noticed that there were clear tear tracks on Danny's cheeks, meaning he had cried himself to sleep. Jenna stood beside the bed and looked at the boys for some time. Just two days back, Ethan would have given anything to have Danny beside him like this. But now, it all seemed far away. She carefully lifted Ethan's bandage and saw that he still wasn't healing at all. She sighed, quietly. When Aiden finds out, she shuddered to think how he'd react. He had mourned her for five years and then got her back, only to lose her all over again. Ethan too, he'd never forgive her. But she knew she couldn't live with knowing that she had the power to save Ethan and had chosen not too. It's better for them to hate her, than to live and hate herself every single second of her life. She bent over Ethan, kissed him softly on the cheek.

"Always know this Ethan, you and Aiden were the best things that ever happened to me. Tell Aiden I'm sorry", she whispered in his ear. Then she took his hand in hers, squared her shoulders bracing herself. Black veins began to move across her arm, her eyes flashed red and then receded to glow golden. A scream escaped her throat and then everything went black.

Danny jumped up from his stupor when he heard a scream very close to him. His head shot up just in time to see Jenna fall down to ground. He watched with wide eyes, not understanding what happened. He saw Derek and Deaton rush into the room. They both took in the scene in front of them and went straight for Jenna. Deaton took her pulse and Derek hovered over her.

"Is she okay? What happened?" Danny asked, scared by the way the two adults behaved.

Derek silently came towards him and bent over Ethan. He removed the bandage and Danny gasped. The gaping wound, the black blood was all gone. All that remained was a long, thin cut. Derek turned to Deaton, "He has healed."

Danny took Ethan's head carefully in his arm and prodded his cheeks, trying to wake him. Derek put a hand on Danny's shoulder, stopping him.

"Give him some time. He'll be fine," he said and then looked back to Deaton sadly. Danny realized that Jenna was still on the floor, motionless. He straightened up, trying to get a closer look at her.

"Is she okay?" Danny asked again, this time the apprehension in his voice was evident.

Derek and Deaton looked between them and then turned to Danny. Deaton was about to speak when –

"What the hell happened here?"

They turned to see Aiden, Scott and Isaac standing in the doorway.

The three wolves rushed forward. Aiden came over to Ethan and checked. Then he saw Jenna and realized the whole story. Scott and Isaac stared from Deaton to Aiden.

Eyes flashing blue, Aiden turned to Derek. "What did she do?"

**what do you think?**


	10. Chapter 10 - Survivors

**Chapter 10**

**2 days later **

Ethan slowly parted his eyelids. The morning sun was falling directly across his face. He groaned, closing his eyes again. He waited for a few seconds and then slowly opened his eyes, this time giving it time to adjust. He turned his head to see that the curtains were parted, the window seemed to be glowing a brilliant golden. The sun rays bathed his room. _His room. _His head swiftly turned around, taking in the place. His eyes finally come to a stop at the bed, for beside him lay Danny, still blissfully fast asleep.

Since Ethan had moved, the sunlight now fell over Danny's face, making his face scrunch up even in his sleep. Ethan smiled and lifted himself slightly on his elbow and turned to face Danny, so that he was guarding Danny against the harsh light. Danny's face relaxed again, having found the shadow. Ethan let his mind wander, taking in the silence, the even heart beat, and the complete peace of his surroundings. He felt a movement against his bare chest; Danny, who had his arm placed around Ethan, was stirring. Danny blinked, letting his eyes adjust and then stared up at Ethan. Involuntarily, he let out a small laugh.

"Why are you staring at me?" Danny asked, nudging Ethan's neck with his face, forcing Ethan to fall back on the pillows.

"Nothing. Just got up", Ethan replied. Danny nodded, yawning.

"You sleep alright?" he asked, sitting up. Ethan followed suit and nodded.

"Yes!" he grinned broadly. He planted a kiss on Danny's cheek and got down from the bed. Smiling happily, Danny hopped down too, prepared to get ready for school.

Half an hour later, when both Ethan and Danny had taken their turn, freshened up and got dressed for school, they ambled into the living room. What greeted them was just the opposite of Ethan's room. The curtains were drawn, the room was dark, and the air seemed heavy. Danny stopped short, fearing he'd bump into furniture in the dark but Ethan with his heightened sight, meandered through the room and drew the curtains apart. On the sofa, lay Aiden, curled up in a ball, in thralls of a troubled sleep. The sight of his brother made his heart grow heavy. He bent down over the sofa and softly nudged Aiden awake.

Aiden sat up, rubbing his eyes, tiredly.

"Why didn't you go to your room?" Ethan asked softly, already knowing the answer.

"I did. But I couldn't sleep. The couch was… comfortable", Aiden replied.

Behind him, Ethan felt Danny walk up to them. Danny slid his fingers through Ethan's as if offering support. Ethan cleared his throat.

"It's the scent, isn't it?" Ethan asked.

Aiden nodded, crestfallen, "You can smell it too, right?"

Ethan sighed, nodding. It wasn't difficult to catch the scent. In fact, it was difficult _not_ to! Jenna had been crashing on the couch while she was staying with them.

Ethan sat down beside his twin on the sofa; Danny perched on the coffee table, facing them.

"She's gonna be fine, you know!" Danny said, looking at Aiden. Aiden rolled his eyes. Ethan placed his hand on Aiden's shoulder, making his twin look at him.

"If there's anyone who is stubborn, obstinate and strong enough to survive this, it's her. You know, she'll probably do it out of spite! Or the pleasure of coming back here and proving that she's stronger than us", Ethan said, smiling at his own words.

In spite of himself, Aiden chuckled. Yes, it was true. Jenna had always been head strong and stubborn, yet, she also managed to be compassionate and understanding. How, neither of them knew. When they lost her, five years ago, they had had to build up their lives from scratch. They gave their utmost loyalty to Deucalion but the void always remained. They locked away their own kindness, their humanity and turned into monsters because it was easier. But with all that happened the past few days, the twins were back to square one.

When Ethan had woken up, he had been greeted by an anxious Danny and an agonized Aiden. Aiden had been grateful to have Ethan back. Initially, when Aiden had pulled Ethan into that bone crushing hug, he had thought that his twin was just happy to see him. It was only when he refused to let go and started crying, that Ethan realized something was seriously amiss. The next 2 days had been a blur of activity; relief, anger, guilt, all wrapped into one. Last night, Danny had finally managed to drag Ethan to his room and get him to sleep. Danny had convinced Aiden to do the same but he still ended up on the couch.

"From what little I know her, she strong. She'll make it", Danny said again, his voice, soothing. Aiden nodded, "I know, but…"

Ethan shook his head, "No. Don't. She's gonna be fine. There's a full moon in three days, she's going to be healed by then and she'll wolf out. She'll come out of the coma." Ethan rambled on, more to himself than to the others but Aiden still took comfort in his words.

He scratched his head, "Give me a few minutes, I'll get ready." Aiden tiredly padded out of the room. Ethan turned to Danny.

"He's not taking it well, is he," Danny said, his eyes on the passageway that Aiden disappeared into.

Ethan shrugged. "Neither of us is. The only difference is that, I have you to take care of me."

Danny turned his large eyes on Ethan and earnestly said, "She'll wolf out on full moon. You'll see. She'll be fine."

"I sure hope so", Ethan replied, sighing. Danny moved up beside Ethan and put an arm around his shoulder. Ethan smiled.

"You know, Jenna was Aiden's first love." Danny's eyes grew wide, a smile bringing out his adorable dimples.

"Really? They were together?" he asked.

"No. He never told her. And then, the fire happened. After that, we were a mess. He mourned her for 5 years. When she suddenly turned up…." Ethan shook his head, chuckling silently.

"So what's he doing with Lydia?" Danny asked, eyebrows knitted together.

"Well, they are not together. But he cares about her. Aiden likes Lydia, a lot. But I don't think he ever got over Jenna. I think he still loves her." Ethan shrugged. "I just hope everything works out on the full moon." Danny stood up and stretched.

"Look on the bright side," Danny said. Ethan looked up at him quizzically.

Danny rolled his eyes, smiling. "YOU"RE here! You're okay! And in three days time, so will Jenna, and Aiden. We're all okay! Frankly, a week ago, I didn't think it was possible", Danny said, animatedly. Ethan grinned, getting up and pulling Danny close to him.

Danny felt his heart melt as he looked into Ethan's eyes.

"You survived," he whispered again.

Ethan shook his head. "Mmhmm, _we_ survived", he said, pulling Danny into a heartfelt kiss.

**THE END**

**AN: so! what do you think? how did you like the story? Please do tell me, review! coz without reviews, I have nothing to go on!**

**PS: In case it wasn't clear, when Ethan says "we" he means Danny and himself as a couple. The real survivor of the story, being their relationship itself.**


	11. Author's Note and Reply to review

Amy! Since you reviewed as a Guest, there was no way for me to reply to you. So, I decided to leave a msg for you here itself and hope you see it.

Thank you so much for those incredibly kind words. As for a sequel with Jenna, I really like the idea. If I come up with a plot line with these characters, I will. Meanwhile, I'd love to hear your ideas and what you would want the sequel to be like.

Other readers also respond please, I'm all ears :D


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